Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Ooh, I really enjoyed this historical fiction detective thriller type novel! I’m a sucker for historical novels, I admit, but David Bishop has taken Renaissance Florence and instead of making his book a dry work all about the intrigue and politics of the Medici family and the Catholic Church, he gives us a fully well-rounded and intriguing central character – Aldo, a weary guard and investigator – who, when investigating a number of seemingly unrelated crimes and murders, stumbles across a treasonous plot.

16th century Florence is a great setting for any historical novel but David Bishop has wisely used its real-life issues of influential families and a predatory Catholic Church as the backdrop for murders, intrigue, and back-stabbings (literal and metaphorical). I particularly enjoyed how he brought to life the marginalised communities – the Jewish areas, the sex workers, and the gay community – as well as the rich and powerful.

In fact, what makes this a winner – as well as the fantastically drawn characters of all shapes and sizes – is the way Florence itself is a character, with all its smells, its traders, its walls, and its streets. It was as if the city itself was humming from these pages.

This book is, apparently, the first in a series of novels that will centre Cesare Aldo as a an on a mission to serve and solve but it is fully readable as a standalone novel that has a very satisfactory conclusion in itself. Fully recommended.

City Of Vengeance introduces a charismatic and enigmatic investigator, who shows himself to be eminently resourceful and clever, whilst arousing in the reader a complete sense of empathy as he seeks to conceal truths about his character. Steeped in the atmosphere and simmering social and political tensions of the time and immersing the reader completely. An excellent debut.

I usually love historical drama / crime / thrillers but this didn't capture my attention. The writing is slow in places, and repetitive. Not a polished novel. 3* rating.

This was a great Historical Fiction, based in the city of Florence at the height of the Medicis' power. Very gripping story and the links between fact and fiction were seamless.

City of Vengeance is the first in a new historical crime series by D.V Bishop, a screenwriter, dramatist and now author. Set in Florence 1536, we are introduced to Cesare Aldo, an ex Mercinary and now officer in the Otto di Guardia e Balia, Florence’s most feared criminal court. After the murder of a money lender in th Jewish district, Aldo is given until Epiphany, four days, to catch the killer before the Medici Guard step in. As this investigation makes a suprise turn, another murder invstigation threatens to expose Aldo’s private life, and could jeopardise his job and even see him imprisoned. Under pressure from those above, and with enemies wanting to destroy him, Aldo is in a race against time to catch a killer, stop a conspiracy and save his own life.

I find there are some genres or subjects that feel comfortable, taking you back to a happy place and for me it’s historical fiction set during the Italian Renaissance, especially when it is set in Florence. I just fell into this book and didn’t resurfance until the last page. D.V Bishop captures the atmosphere and ambience of sixteenth century Florence, the sights, the smells and the sounds of the bustling city state. There are the beautiful classical style palaces of the rich and elite, and Jewish quater where everyone knows each other, the courtesans in their luxury and brothels in more squlid conditions, a city of diversity brought to life. Whilst this may be a work of fiction, D.V Bishop has set it against hostorical fact, the conspiracy to overthrow the current ruler of Florence, Alessandro de ‘Medici.

Cesare Aldo makes for a fascinating central character. He is an ex mercenary,fighting as a soldier along side the condittore Giovanni Medici, used to the harsh conditions of war. As an officer of Florence’s criminal court his battle is catching criminals and putting them in ‘le Stinche’, the local jail. He seems a complex character, a loner, keeps himself to himself, and lives in a room in one of the local brothels; helping to protect them. He believes in justice, but not necessarily the beaurocracy behind it . His colleagues, and those who know hm respect him, but he also attracts the jelousy of Officer Cherci, who will stop at nothing to try and destroy Aldo. Cherci is everything that Aldo is not, he is scheming, dishonest and a bigot, and their rivalry produces many tense and shocking moments. With two murders, three invesigations and the conflict between chaacters this is a fast paced read that doesn’t let up until the last sentence on the last page.

City of Vengeance is stunning debut novel from D.V Bishop. It is a thrilling historical crime novel, with more twists and turns than the river Arno, and a fantastic cast of characters both fictional and factual. The writing of this book is rich and detailed, capturing the zeitgeist of sixteenth century Florence, the wonderful culture, the diverse social scene and the sights and smells, many awful. I loved Aldo as a character, his complexity and sense of justice, and I can’t wait to find out more in the next book; a complex and compelling read.

I enjoyed this book very much a little different era for me the 6th Century Florence. It seems to have been well researched and beautifully written. It really drew me in and I felt I was actually there, Great read.

Renaissance Florence is one of my favorite historical places and I was very happy to read this historical mystery set in a place and time I love.
It's an excellent mystery, full of twists and turns, and I found it gripping and entertaining.
The characters are well developed and the historical background is vivid and well researched.
The solid mystery kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The beggining to the end, the book failed to capture my attention. The premise and plot looked promising but execution was missing.

I initially found this book a little slow and wasn't sure it was my type, but once I got into it I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Aldo isn't the usual type of detective I read about but I found myself warming to him! I enjoyed the historical aspect of the story too and thought that the detective element and the historical element were intertwined well.
I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

City of Vengeance is set in 16th century Florence during the Renaissance, a time when cities in Italy were run by Dukes. Florence’s Duke was Alessandro de’ Medici.
Cesare Aldo is an officer of the criminal court and a former soldier, and when we first meet him, he is riding home to Florence from Bologna with the Jewish moneylender he’s protecting. This is where we learn just how good Also is at this part of his job. His charge reaches his home safely, despite an encounter with bandits.
Thinking he has finished his job well, Also leaves the moneylender at his home and thinks nothing more of it - until the moneylender is murdered.
Also is tasked with finding the murderer within four days, which seems impossible. Especially when you factor in all the trouble that Aldo manages to get himself in to!
Meanwhile another constable of the criminal court, Strocchi, is investigating the death of a young man. The only problem, is that he was murdered whilst wearing a dress, and homosexuality is illegal. Finding his murderer isn’t high on the courts list of priorities - in fact, there are those who work there who believe that he has got exactly what he deserves.
There’s loads of mystery and intrigue in this book, as well as heaps of historical detail. It’s fast-paced and totally unputdownable. It shows the seedier, more difficult side of life at this time, especially when we get a look in to La Stinche - a notorious prison hellhole.
Both Also and Strocchi are characters that I’m looking forward to finding out more about - especially Aldo. There’s a lot more to him than we see in this, what I hope is, the first of a series (I’m totally guessing here - but it’s not a terrible idea!).
Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for providing me with an e-copy of this book to read and review through NetGalley.

What a brilliant debut novel. I just devoured this book,one of the best I have read this year. Set in Florence it introduces Cesare Aldo at the beginning of the reign of the Medici. It brought the period alive in its poverty and brutality. I did not realise it was a debut novel and was going to look for others in the series. Something to look forward to. Lovers of CJ Sansom and Andrew Taylor will enjoy this

Florence, 16th century. Aldo Cesare is tasked with protecting a Jewish money lender and later with investigating his murder. This leads him to discover some de Medici court intrigues which then endanger his own life. Parallel to this plotline there is another murder of a male prostitute, which serves to provide some background to Aldo's private life, but also muddles the story a bit. The two murders and two investigations are sometimes hard to separate, I had trouble at times to tell the characters apart. Not just the investigating officers, but also the criminals and nobles.

The setting is original, but the use of Italian words bothered me at times, especially since there seems to be only one swear word that is used over and over again.

1536 and Florence is cold. Cesare Aldo has been tasked with escorting a Jewish moneylender from Bologna back to Florence and the precaution of hiring Aldo is proved right when the two are attacked. However, it is not until they are parted back in the city that the Jew is murdered. In addition, one of Aldo's informants, a cross-dresser, has also been murdered and Aldo discovers a plot against the Medici Duke of Florence. In violent times where Church and state co-exist uneasily, Aldo and the loyal men of the city must try to discover the truth.
This is the first in a purported series of novels set in Renaissance Florence and it is a strong start. There is a multilayered plot, a wide cast of characters and enough intrigue to keep the reader hooked. My only quibble was the over-emphasis on the homosexual nature of the protagonist and, especially, the very clunky 'romance'. Other than that this is a well-researched and thoroughly entertaining book.

My thanks to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘City of Vengeance’ by D. V. Bishop in exchange for an honest review. I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by Mark Meadows.

“Cesare Aldo took no pleasure from killing, but sometimes it was necessary.” - first and last lines, ‘City of Vengeance’.

This is the first in a series of historical mysteries set in 16th Century Florence, Italy featuring Cesare Aldo, a former soldier who now serves as an officer of the Renaissance city’s most feared criminal court.

Florence. Winter, 1536. When a prominent Jewish moneylender is murdered in his home, the death has wide implications. Aldo is given only four days to solve the murder with a threat of ‘consequences’ if he fails. During his investigations Aldo uncovers a conspiracy that could endanger the city’s future. In addition, if aspects of Aldo’s private life are exposed it would likely lead to his ruin. Yet a rival officer of the court is determined to uncover Aldo’s secrets.

I found this an engaging historical mystery with a strong sense of its period setting with Aldo established as a compelling lead. In his Historical Notes following the main text, Bishop details the real events that had informed the narrative.

It is undoubtedly a brilliant debut and I am looking forward to reading further of the Cesare Aldo mysteries.

A very well written and absorbing historical crime novel set in Florence in the 1500s. City of Vengeance has three plots : the murder of a homosexual, murder of a money lender and an attempted coup, any of which may or may not be interlinked..
The best man for the job of solving these mysteries is Cesare Aldo who works for the Otto, Florence’s then equivalent of a police investigation office. Aldo is the good guy who meets with violence, bureaucracy and threats from not just murderers but his own jealous work colleague. He has a lot to contend with to be able to make progress in the investigations. He leads the fast -paced twists of events and changes of scene in the atmospheric city, sweeping the reader along in the build up of suspense to guarantee a page turning novel.
Here’s hoping Aldo returns soon for another exciting novel.

I really enjoyed this.

At the start I found the very quick changes between characters disconcerting but it didn't take long to get into the swing of it, it became easier once I started to get to know the characters.

This is an easy to read book, the prose isn't overly complex and it has a lovely rhythm to it. Do not let this fool you, the story has so many layers and is so nuanced you need your brain engaged.

I really loved the story layering, as a reader I felt engaged and invested in each element and while I could guess at where bits of it were going, it really wasn't obvious.

The setting and the time period play crucial roles within the story and it definitely adds a unique flavour.

The characters are brilliant, they are all three dimensional and have their own quirks and foibles. There are some you love and want to see more of in the future and some you really grow to despise (I cheered out loud at the end...)

Overall this was a really good book and I'm looking forward to more.

City of Vengeance by D.V . Bishop is a well crafted historical thriller and the opener of what looks like a promising series. Set in Florence in 1536, the book follows Cesare Aldo , an officer of the Criminal Court of Florence as he investigates the murder of a Jewish money lender in the city. Given only four days to solve the crime, Cesare at first has difficulty gaining the trust of the Jewish population ,who prefer to keep to themselves ,and would rather that the matter be left to their religious authorities. As he begins to unravel the mystery, and discovers several suspects with motives ranging from greed to vengeance, he is surprised to find that there is a plot afoot to assassinate the Duke of Florence , unleashing a struggle for succession that would destabilise the city. As if that was not enough pressure, Aldo is hiding a secret of his own, one that a rival investigator could use to destroy his career.
This was an entertaining read, and I really liked the character of Cesare Aldo, he was really well fleshed out in the book, with an intriguing back story and a lot of potential for future development as the series continues. The plot was complex enough to keep me guessing and had plenty of twists and turns with lots of plots and intrigue. In terms of pacing the book starts out really strongly but does lag a little in the middle, before picking up again for a dramatic conclusion. The attention to detail was excellent, it made the setting come to life on the page .
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

City of Vengeance by D V Bishop
A historical novel which has a basis in fact this is a fascinating depiction of Florence in 1536. The research which has been carried out in order to write this novel is obvious but you never feel as if you are wading through facts.
The main character is Aldo who has been paid to escort Samuele Levi, a Jewish moneylender, along the dangerous road from Bologna. He has managed to get Samuele safely back to Florence but he is brutally murdered shortly after his return.
Aldo is charged with discovering the perpetrator of this murder and alongside this he is investigating the murder of a young man who satisfied the needs of the wealthy men of the region whilst dressed as a courtesan.
It is a tense novel full of atmosphere and intrigue. It is clear that there are numerous plots bubbling beneath the surface and many who will stop at nothing to further their own ends.
The depiction of a corrupt Florence which is a hotbed of secrets and rivalry is a gripping read and one which I would recommend to others. I would like to thank the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

When a very highly respected Jewish moneylender is murdered in his home there is uproar and the city of Florence wants answers.
Former military soldier that is now a well feared office of the court Cesare Aldo has been given only days yo solve the murder or there will literally hell to pay.
What Cesare uncovers during his investigation could be is own downfall and maybe his death.
A conspiracy to overthrow the current ruler of Florence, Alessandro dè Medici how is Cesare going save the ruler and his beloved city?
Wonderfully written historical novel.